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FOR YEARS THE EARLY-'60S EPIPHONE WILSHIRE (Model SB-432) held the honorable position of being a semi-undiscovered vintage gem, and was often sold as a "poor-man's Les Paul Special", but that description doesn't fully capture the nuance ofthe Wilshire's slightly altered design. By the late '80s and early '90s, the Wilshire was still a steal compared to the rapidly appreciating Special, though both emanated from the same Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, MI, and offered great appeal to anyone willing to take up the Epiphone badge in lieu ofthe more recognizable brand. This state of affairs didn't last long, though, as the Kalamazoo factory turned out far fewer Wilshires (a mere 180 in 1962) than it did either late-'50s Les Paul Specials or early-'60s SG Specials. Following the simple laws of supply and demand, this secret players' bargain turned into a bona fide collectible, with prices for good original examples soaring upwards of $5,000 to as much as $10,000!
Enter the 1962 Wilshire Reissue ($4,832 retail/$2,899 street), manufactured in Nashville, Tennessee, by Epiphone's Custom Historic division, in cooperation with Gibson Custom. The revival brings this much-loved model back at a more palatable price than its current vintage value, although it's still made in limited numbers, restricted to a run of 100 guitars. (100 more Wilshires, in white, will be available by the time you read this.) The first Wilshire arrived in late 1959, designed as a rival of sorts to Fender's Stratocaster, which its rounded double horns aped more than they did those of its sibling double-cutaway LP Special. The guitars from 1962 are often considered to be the pinnacle ofthe model, and mark the last Wilshires that followed the more...